Interview with Fred J. Feldman

Interviewed by Alice Klein

Fred J. Feldman was born and raised in Rockville Center, New York. After his educational jaunt at Tulane University, he setlled down and taught public school in New York City. With varied employent behind him... he was a teacher, a longshoreman, a truck driver, a construction worker, and a home renovation contractor. Fred's first love was the written word,and it shows in his novel The Moon Canopy. Fred is also a painter, a sculpturer, and a playwright. The Handsome Brook Studio was recently opened in Delaware County, New York and showcases Fred's paintings and sculptures. You can reach Mr. Feldman via e-mail at ffeldman@allmail.net

Mr. Feldman, you say in your bio that you are a retired New York City school teacher. How did this background impact your writing?

The economic security of teaching afforded me plenty of time to write. I had years to perfect the skills necessary until I began to be published. I worked and lived on the Lower East Side of New York, which is the setting of the novel, The Moon Canopy. I came to know the people of the area very well and they heavily influenced my writing.

You speak of the Lower East Side (SoHo) in the '70s. Tell us about this area and any first hand knowledge of it.

The people in the Lower East Side (now known as LES) in the 1970's were definitely poor to lower middle class. There was and still is a light manufacturing center. It housed workers of these factories from Asia and Latin America. The last generation of Jewish and Italian immigrant families lived there.

Your characters in The Moon Canopy are compelling and intricately interwoven into the story. By the time your book is finished, your reader has become engrossed in their lives. Where do you get the characters from? Are they real people, conglomerates of people you have known?

Thank you. The characters in the book come from the fabric of LES during that time period. A lot of my family history is portrayed in the characters, but in a fictionalized representation.

I love the story of how Geronimo Sabat got his name. Would you share it with our readers?

Once, in the late 60's, I was in a cab around Midtown and I glanced at the name of my driver shown on his license, "Geronimo Sabat." Well, that name burned like a welding torch into my brain. Everyone knows about the great native American Geronimo, but here was an ordinary cab driver carrying that fabled name. How did he get it? Was it a family connection? Not long after, I began to imagine this name as a fictional character of great importance. My Geronimo could never be an ordinary person.

How long did it take you to write The Moon Canopy ? How long did it take to get it published?

It took about five years to write The Moon Canopy and another twenty to get published. I did have other projects in the meantime.

You've written a well-received play, Mishkin's Paradise that was a successful off Boradway production. I understand that it is opening again in May of this year. Please tell us a little about the play and when it will open.

Mishkin's Paradise was my entree into New York City theatre. The play is about a Russian immigrant who comes to America and lives the American Dream. Along the way, his family encounters conflict from WWII and from their own personal choices. I had been writing for years with only minor attempts into publishing and producing. Then Mishkin's Paradise came to the attention of a group of theatre artists who had rented a space on Ludlow Street in the LES. They were very excited about my work and produced a festival of one-act plays, one of which was Mishkin's paradise . The plays were well received, so the director suggested I rewrite Mishkin's paradise into a full length play. It took a year to complete. The group produced the longer version, which was so successful that it began two more runs. That attracted the attention of the people at the St. Clement's Church Theatre Orgnization. They scheduled a ten day production in their theatre on 46th Street and 9th Avenue. It went over so well that it was extended three times and lasted four months, drawing packed houses each time. We are in preproduction for another showing of Mishkin's Paradise at the renown Henry Street Settlement, but until then, you can find the book on the Barnes and Nobles website.

Licorice, your children's book, is in the process of becoing a musical theater piece. How exciting. Can you tell us a little about this?

Licorice, a modern's child's fable, is in the process of being printed by AuthorHouse. It should be available this summer. A musical version is in the works, but it is hard to predict when it will be ready for production.

Do you write every day? Is there a special place where you do your writing?

I used to write every day for many years. Now, I focus on the publication and publicity of my written work. I lived in a place where I couldn't afford any artwork, so I created it myself. I've continued to do so since then. I share my time writing and painting.

There's a lot of information out there on POD (Print On Demand) publishing. Is that the way to go for a new author? Or is there a better way?

At one time, POD publishing was never an option for me, but the mainstreaming of the Internet changed the print world. Now Print On Demand is a very desirable way to let the world know about your talent. It is almost impossible to break into the world of writing through agents and big corporations, but that isn't the wave of the future. Print On Demand is definitely the way to go for a beginning author.

Who was your favorite author growing up? Do you read a lot? What kind of books? Favorite authors or genres?

I read more as a child and as a young adult than I do now. My favorite author growing up was John Steinbeck. As an adult, I learned the craft from hemingway, Normal Mailer and Phillip Roth. My influences as a playwright come from Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller.

What's next on the horizon for Fred Feldman?

I still have a few good stories left to tell. I have been working on ideas for a collection of one-act plays and another collection of short stories. Mostly, I am working to promote my three books, but I have an idea for a sequel to Licorice.

What advice would you give someone just starting out?

My advice to someone starting out is to figure out what you MUST do with your life. Then acquire the skills necessary to do it very well. Finally, sail the boat out in open water. Persevere. It will be a long, hard struggle, but no one else will do it for you. The creative arts are very demanding. Unless you already have a connection, nobody out there will create them for you. Labor to master your talent and sell yourself in the real world. Count on frustrations and setbacks. Toughen up, but don't waste years expecting a big break to come to you. Enjoy the world and your life in it. Life is a gift, and live it to the fullest.

Is there anything else you would like to mention that I haven't asked about?

I would like to mention that in today's world, we all have one obligation. All of our works and accomplishments depend on the health and bounty of our planet. The Earth is our mother and we must replenish her so that we can fulfill our destiny of handling a healthy planet down to the generations that come after us. Let's join together for this mighty cause and stand up for our planet and our only home in the universe.

Please look for Mr. Feldman's banner ad on Simegen.com and buy his books through Amazon.com

Other books by Fred Feldman